Old Stainless Steel tube

Wasn't quite sure where to post this but here goes. I found a deal on 2 1/2 " diameter 5 foot sticks of .075" wall 409 stainless exh. pipe. 10 bucks each. Now I'm new to bending up exhaust so after getting from the headers to the mufflers and looking good I start thinking I'm the you-know-what. Well soon as I start trying to bend over the axle I start crushing the pipe. I finally call my buddy and the first thing he says is "How old is it?" 11/02. Turns out the stuff gets harder over time and doesn't like to bend. I was about to buy $500 bucks worth!
Buyer beware.

When I was 16 I swear I knew everything.

I'm thinking part of your problem may be the wall thickness. 75 thou is pretty light. I have a Pro Tools tube bender and the chart goes up to 2 inch tubing. For 2 inch tubing with a 6 inch bend requires .120 min. to .134 max wall thickness. 2 inch tubing with a 7 inch bend requires .95 min. to .134 max. wall thickness. The bend isn't quite as severe so the wall thickness can be a bit less. Jump up to 2 1/2 inch and the wall thickness has to increase a pretty fair amount. Can it be cut (mitered) and welded to go up and over the rear end? [

Can you imagine the foul language I would be spewing as I cut and welded that tubing while looking over at that new tubing bender? I picked up some 2 1/2" aluminized pipe on the way home. If that bends up fine, it's the pipe, not the bender. I will let you cats know tomorrow.

Here's the chart I got the info from. Something in your reply,.....the bender you have, is it a pipe bender or tubing bender? If it's a pipe bender, the die won't fit the tubing properly, and it will crush at the middle of the bend. Oops, the chart didn't make it, I'll try again.

Ok, should work this time.

440 Clark,

Can you show some pics of your bender? The part about the old tubing doesn't sound quite right.

I spent a few years bending custom exhaust and a little oil on the dies seemed to help when bending stainless and aluminum. Those metals liked to stick to the dies and that can cause some crushing on tighter bends.

I wiped them down with grease as soon as I got them. The bender in question is a brand new Ben Pearson (recently bought out by Huth). I've bent a couple chunks of 3" aluminized, no problem, 2 1/8 conduit using the 2 1/4 dies to 180 degrees, no problem, 1" aprox .125" wall to 180 degrees, no problem. I bent a 2 1/2" stick of aluminized to about 60 degrees and it started creasing it. I think I might have got a couple bad shoes. Huth is sending me some 2 1/2" shoes Fri. or Mon. I will let you all know what happens then.

DJ3100 I will send pics when I get a chance.

Okay, heres what happened. Huth bought out Ben Pearson. I got a set with Huth stuff and Pearson stuff mixed together. In my opinion the Huth stuff is of better quality. The 2 1/2 shoes were Pearson. Huth sent me 2 new Huth shoes and it bends 2 1/2", even that old November of '02 stainless, just awesome. Case closed.

fill the tube with sand and tape the ends, or a large tight wound spring. it will help to keep the shape and reduce the tubing from crushing.

ive never tried it but the old timers tell me it works

A good place to look for sstube is your neighborhood winery, I work for a winery and my exhaust is 3" from front to back and you can also get used 90's and 45's that you can cut and reweld just my 2cents.. Pat